New Monogrammed Ruffled Premium Onesies

We just added these cute onesies- makes a great gift for a new baby. Our monogrammed tee's offer a unique way to personalize your baby's clothing. Tees are a 100% super soft cotton baby rib knit. Our thick and plush premium tees are sewn with cotton thread and have a double stitched bottom hem. All seams have over-lock stitching to prevent unraveling. Only ringspun yard (24 count) is used and all knitting is done on European Terrot machines. Our tees are truly superior and you will love the quality! Available in sizes 0-12 months. This tee is monogrammed with pink thread color (many other colors available) and has 3 fluffy ruffles in the front. You may add three ruffles to the back instead. So sweet!

Selected Nurseryworks Crib Bedding On Sale and Free Shipping!

We love the modern and crisp bedding designs from Nurseryworks. Now through March 31st, enjoy a savings of 20% on selected in stock crib bedding sets. Our favorite, Sea Holly is shown here. We are also offering free ground shipping on all bedding sets. Yes, even the ones on sale! No delivery surcharges will be added. Find your favorite Nurseryworks bedding sets today. In stock and ready for immediate shipping!

Two Blue Peas- A Quite Impressive Boutique!

I swear I was not paid for this glowing endorsement- heck I am about to rave about someone who technically is my competition.!That just shows how much I admire these ladies. I feel it is important to note that no money was exchanged for this posting. My praise comes from my own personal experience.
So, I can be quite flighty when it comes to keeping track of my inventory (just ask my sis who has heard quite a few stories about my shock at finding I really do not have any more bla bla dolls. Really? I swear I had one more......didn't I?"). One of my regular (meaning repeat and one who graciously refers me to everyone) ordered these really cute hand knitted cupcakes. I emailed me her to tell her all was in stock and they would ship the next day. As I am packing up her order, Icannot find any more of the cupcakes. I really thought I had one left. See the problem is I also sell on amazon.com and this messes up my inventory count. Sure enough- I looked up my orders on amazon and I sold the last one a few weeks previously (the manufacturer was also out of stock). I just could not bring myself to tell my customer I had none left. So what did I do? I googled Yellow Label Kids handknitted cupcakes and came up with this store- Two Blue Peas. I was so relieved to see they had some in stock- which I promptly ordered. Yes, I had to pay retail plus shipping, but I could breathe easier knowing I came through for my customer. I have discovered that finding customers can be a challenge and once you have a loyal one, you want to hang on to them desperately (quite honestly, referrals are a huge source of business for me). Now I just had to hope that Two Blue Peas would quickly ship my order. You know how some stores require 3-4 business days for "processing"? By the way, what exactly are they "processing"? Literally, 30 minutes after I placed my order, I received a shipping notice. My package was on it's way! Amazing- that is super quick service! My order arrived a few days later nicely wrapped. Completely professional.
After browsing, I found more to like about the 2 Blue Peas website. Their site is crisp, clean and uncluttered. It is easy to find what you are looking for and their offerings are not overwhelming. I really do not like shopping at sites with 50+ pages of clothing (or some other category) that I have to look through. Reading through their about me page, I detected bits of humor and am fairly sure the owners, Sarah and Helen don't take themselves too seriously and are really having fun with their endeavor. I enjoyed reading their blog as it gave some insight into who the people are behind this business. They seem like 2 cool women I would hanging out with . Helen and Sara, thank you so much for helping me keep one of my customers happy! Best of luck to you both. Oh-they still have the really cute cupcakes in stock ( sadly, I am still out of stock).

Prepare for lots of oohs and aahs with our monogrammed poncho

My daughter wore to preschool today her new Skipping Hippos poncho. This delightful poncho is warm and fuzzy with lots of girly accents- pom pom fringe, hooded tassel, and we added this cute monogram to further the cuteness factor. We were stopped by lots of inquiring minds as to where to find such a great gift. My daughter has become a walking advertisement and I try to purchase many of the items I sell for her so I can give my customers educated answers and reviews of what I am selling. I can definitely recommend this
poncho....well made, quality fabric and just so cute! Makes a perfect Christmas gift! Hurry- our christmas monogramming deadline is Dec. 15th.

My Most Favorite Customer

Meet my favorite customer and her adorable girls. Stephanie was one of my first customers. She called me one day searching for a sling. She was one of my first customer calls and I can remember trying so hard to not let on that I was brand new! Thankfully, she did not notice how absolute "green" I was. I did not have the size she needed, but we ended up chatting on the phone. A few months later, I was pleasantly surprised to see her register on my site. She has been back several times, called to chat, sent me photos of her cuties, referred me to her friends and family, and introduced me to Moxie Moms (hence my new partnership with this fab group). In other words- she is a dream customer. However, I no longer see Stephanie as just my "customer", but a true friend. She has been so supportive and celebrated each and every step in my mompreneuer adventure. She is what every mom and woman needs- a fellow mom/woman who celebrates and encourages without judgement. I know she truly wants me to succeed. She has given me more support than even some of my own family members! She recently sent this to her Moxie Mom group (I swear I did not bribe her!). "I just wanted to share that I have been shopping with Avannabel Baby, a new MM business partner, for about a year and a half. They have very cute products - from clothes to hair clips to great gift ideas for new moms and babies. Jennifer, the owner, is fabulous, and she will help you out in any way she can. I have no affiliation with this boutique - just wanted to share my experience." I know if Stephanie were to ever visit Northern California, we would just be two moms spending time together laughing and sharing stories. I am continually amazed at the friendships I have formed via my business. I finally realized that 90% of my customer base is just fellow moms, like me wanting the best for the kids. One great story to share is my loyal customer Tracy from New York City. She bought a birthday hat from me about a year ago. She needed it overnighted and was over in London on business. I detected her worry and assured her the gift would arrive in time. The hat was sent to her good friend, Amy for her daughter's 1st birthday. A few weeks later, Amy ordered from me as well. We ended up chatting in an email about Tracy and how she brought me Amy's business. Both Amy and Tracy continued to purchase gifts from me the rest of the year and we kept in touch with little tidbits of our lives. Tracy is now expecting her first baby and she registered with me for her new baby gifts. Her sister-in-law called to order a gift and we ended up chatting as well. Tracy and Amy just emailed me to say how they were discussing me at her shower and how they all felt like we were old college buddies. I take that as a huge compliment- these terrific ladies have truly become friends of mine. I have several other stories like this and just have to say it is the best part of my job. I have really enjoyed being a part of my customer's pregnancies, first birthdays, etc. A big Thank You to all my loyal customers!

Note to Stephanie: If you ever move out this way-You are hired!

Confessions of a Baby Boutique Owner- Part 2

Yes- I am taking the big leap! After 18 months of operating an online baby boutique- I have decided to take the plunge and open a "brick and mortar" boutique. Why?, you ask. For the following reasons:
1. I realized after much analyzing and careful thought that an online customer base is completely different than a actual retail store customer base. A good example is bedding. I have found (through talking to customers) that that want to see and feel bedding. Seeing it online just does not suffice unless they are familiar with the brand. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard "I saw such and such brand at a store and just loved it, but they were out of the pattern I wanted". Most customers who buy bedding from me are doing so because they have actually SEEN the bedding at a retail store. I could be wrong, but I think I will sell completely differently in a store than online.
2. This is a big one which may not be important to other online retailers, but is a big factor for me. One word- CREDIBILITY. Let's face it- a baby boutique that is online AND a brick and mortar is in a different league than just online boutiques. Suddenly the waters part and vendors are bending over backwards trying to sell to you. I do not think there is an online retailer out there who can honestly admit they have never been turned down for an account because they lacked the one essential- a brick and mortar store. I am not ashamed to admit that I have been rejected numerous times for not having a store. The most common reasoning I hear- "the online market is completely saturated". Yes, there is definitely some truth to that. I no longer set up accounts with vendors that you see in every boutique. My best selling items? Products that are unique and not found all over. It took me awhile to learn that you do not want all the popular baby boutique brands in your store. It is good to have some (especially when just starting out) to gain traffic, but eventually you will need to seek out lesser known brands. Which can be challenging- you need to find unique brands that will be of interest to your customers. There are tons of unique products out there but they are of little good if your customer is not interested.
3. I really miss human interaction. Working from home was a wonderful thing for me- especially after having my 2nd child. It allowed me to be at home with my children while financially providing to the family income. Plus all my inventory is seeping out everywhere and really needs a designated home.
I have been doing lots of research, updating my business plan and carefully considering how to make this work. I have found my location and yesterday I applied for a small business loan. Wish me luck as I begin this exciting, yet scary adventure. I will be chronicling my journey as I do this and welcome any and all advice and ideas. Stay tuned...............

Cover that Ugly Car Seat! New Personalized Car Seat Covers

Introducing these fabulous car seat covers- personalized with your child's name. My daughter had to use my son's old car seat. I certainly was not going to buy a new one when his was in pristine condition. But.... it was blue and black. Everyone said "what a cute little boy" when I toted her around it (her baldness certainly did not help matters). If only I had one of these! They come in 8 solid colors with your choice of piping color and personalization. This weekend- Spend $99.00 or more and take off $10 bucks! Shop car seat covers and use voucher code TENOFF during checkout. Voucher is good on any order over $99, before shipping costs are added.

Are thank-you cards passe? Ticklebellies Coupon Enclosed

Recently, we have attended 2 birthday parties. As expected, we showed up with smiles and a carefully wrapped gift. As has become common these days, we did not watch the birthday boy unwrap the presents. WE were thanked for coming and off we went...... it has now been over a month and I have yet to receive a thank you card. I do not know if it is because I spent 10+ years in the south or if I just have high expectations, but I was truly disappointed. I admit- I am a sucker for small gestures such as thank you cards. So I was excited to come across these very easy to use cards by Ticklebellies. Ticklebellies is known for their whimsical and fun stationary. These cards are pre-filled with slots to write in. Perfect for the busy mom!I think these are a great tool for school age children as they just have to fill in their name, gift received, and what they thought about the gift. And I am all for teaching our kids to be respectful, courteous and grateful. I hope good manners never go out of style.

Find them here and as a added bonus, take $5.00 off any Ticklebellies order. Please use coupon code TICKLE in the voucher box during checkout. For the early bird holiday shoppers, we are starting to add our Ticklebellies holiday cards. Browse our selection today at http://www.avannabelbaby.com/catalog.php?category=77.

Please note: voucher is only good on Ticklebellies orders

Finally- Positive Messages Tees for Kids!

We are all about instilling confidence and encouraging our children's natural creativity. Which is why we love these new tees from Cultivate Kids. CULTIVATE KIDS offers 100% organic cotton that is soft to the touch. All tees use water-based ink that does not contain hazardous PVCs or phthalates. All tees contain phrases that are thought provoking, fun and positive.
Cultivate Kids is a proud member of 1% For The Planet; One percent of your purchase price goes to CO-OP America. We love the owner/founder, Tammy's mission statement which best sums up this great new product: The ultimate goal is to provide thought provoking tees that remind parents and caregivers of the importance of nurturing a child’s development while being good to the environment.
I have worked with kids as a teacher in a daycare and as a nanny for over 9 years. I see the need for shirts that boast positive messages. They serve as a visual reminder that we as adults help form our children’s future by encouraging their core self now.
These shirts are created to be worn as a daily reminder that children need the adults in their lives to guide them, and to help them grow to their full potential.
CULTIVATE KIDS creates meaningful and unique tees. These shirts are made from 100% organic cotton and printed with a process that is gentle on the environment.

We encourage you to visit her site at http://www.cultivatekids.net/.

Confessions of a Baby Boutique Owner

I have definitely learned a few things in my time running a baby boutique. When I first started, I went WAY overboard. I wrapped every single order in a nice gift box and tied it with grosgrain ribbon. Inside, my customer would find their item neatly wrapped in tissue paper with a gift card thanking them for their business. At first, it would take me an hour to prepare one order for shipment. If a customer received an item late, I threw in a little extra something. Heck, I threw in freebies all the time for no rhyme or reason. All of the above are nice gestures and I still do them when the situation is warranted. But what I learned is what the customer REALLY wants. Having a nicely wrapped order is not what makes a customer return and ultimately that is what us retailers want. My customer wants just a few things and they are all Free! They want great products that are unique and high quality. They want good customer service meaning emails/phone calls are returned promptly and they are updated on their order status. If an order is late or you are out of stock- just tell them (nicely, of course). And finally they want to be taken care if something goes wrong. I have made mistakes, but I have always made them "right". I always cringe when I shop on a site and I see this: "we are not responsible for lost packages". What does that mean? If my order is lost, you will tell me tough luck? That to me is poor customer service and you can kiss that customer goodbye. I understand having to protect yourself from delivery failures, but can you just leave the customer out in the cold? I protect myself here by always using shipping services with tracking information. Fed Ex and UPS even provide free insurance . Yes, I have have had lost packages. Yet, I have never lost money from them. Eventually, the order is found or I am reimbursed for the loss.
Most of my business is repeat customer and referrals. I hope that speaks loudly as to how well I am doing providing what the customer really wants. Thoughts, opinions?? Shoppers- what do you look for when shopping online?